Please Take This Personal, It's Not Business
by pillimatic
Summary: Danny. Child. Exgirlfriend. Unfit Parent. Problems are attempted to be solved. Try and figure that out, I dare you. T in case for language reason.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Lindsay was sure that it was just one of those typical arguments couples had. She was curious, he was withholding information, they bickered, then she got a call. It'd be worked out and all would be well with the world (she laughed inwardly, having thought this while processing a dead male who's…organ…was ten feet away from the body: unattached.) It wasn't serious. Danny had received a phone call from a woman she didn't know and he wouldn't tell her who. "All in good time," he said. Which, as she thinks about it now, makes sense. They'd only been dating a few months. There was still a lot to uncover.

The next morning, she made her way into the lab, stopping short to see Danny conversing with, she assumed, the woman that he was on the phone with the night before. She ducked out of sight from both parties and listened behind a door, biting her lip. "You know, I'm no expert," she jumped and turned to glare at Mac who had been walking from the break room at the same time. "But isn't trust key to a healthy relationship?"

"I trust him," she whispered, turning back to look at the scene. "I'm just curious." And meanwhile, Danny and the nameless woman with dyed blonde hair, a small frame, and lines creasing her forehead, began to talk louder.

"Why isn't she in school, Melanie? S'she sick? Someone hurt her?" His voice sounded concerned, but Lindsay briefly noticed, she was glad to now have a name with the face.

"She's fine. She kicked one of the boys in her class for trying to…" this Melanie took a breath "to kiss her." Danny snickered. "It's not funny, she's suspended for the rest of the day and tomorrow! And I gotta go in half an hour!"

"Mel, I'm still at work. What am I gonna do, huh?"

Lindsay narrowed her eyes.

"Look, I don'know. You work it out. They don't have a day care around here?"

Day Care?

"Hell if I know…where's she at anyways?"

"In the car."

"In the car!" There was a groan, the kind of groan that spelled frustration. Lindsay started making her way out of hiding. "Bring 'er in, I got stuff for 'er at my place."

"You're a life saver."

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun with yer' ma." A scoff and she saw Melanie walking away.

She waited a minute before "Danny?"

Danny turned around and blinked at her, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, Montana?"

"I uhm…I couldn't help…I mean I guess I could…but I heard and I'm a little confu-"

"You were eavesdropping." She glared

"Well what was I supposed to do?"

Danny sighed. "I'm not mad at you, I'm just clarifying."

"Could you tell me what that was all about?" Was that desperation? No, no way. Ok, yes. Yes, it was.

Something registered in Danny's eyes. Realization that she was absolutely clueless, maybe?"Right. Well…you see…it all started about si-"

"DADDY!"

_Daddy?_

Danny turned away from her and squatted down to the ground in time to pick up a small girl with dark blonde hair, sapphire eyes, and pale skin. Said girl took one look at Lindsay and ducked her head into Danny's neck, cheeks turning pink. The loud scream had gathered a small group of people in the hallway now. Among them were Mac, Stella, Don, Adam, and a few lab technicians. Both Danny and the little girl started to visibly fidget.

Daddy…

Wait…

Lindsay looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Danny gulped and looked back, eyes only shifting to look at everyone else now staring him down.

"Linds, everyone, this is Angie. She's five years old, just south of 3 feet, and me and her share 23 chromosomes."

"And a mean left hook!" Angie had picked her head up off of Danny's shoulder to look at him. "Right, Daddy?" Danny bit his lip, trying to suppress a laugh.

**Daddy**…

Lindsay's eyes softened and her mouth was partially agape in what was probably shock. She looked around. Don didn't seem too phased at all, she couldn't tell what Mac was thinking (as usual,) and Stella had her hand on her heart and a smile on her face. Adam seemed slightly dazed and two of the lab techs appeared as though they were repressing "awe's."

"Danny," she spoke quietly at the same moment that Mac and said his name sharply. Danny looked first at her and then at him, fear shining in his eyes.

"In my office." Mac's voice seemed to have lessened in harshness when he scanned the small child.

Danny looked at Lindsay again, saying, quite firmly " I'll tell you everything later" and that was clearly the end of the conversation. He let Angie down and grasped her tiny hands in his, following Mac down the corridor.

Everyone slowly went back to their work until all that was left standing was Lindsey and Adam. She was staring down the empty hall and jumped when Adam cleared his throat.

"I got some DNA off of that sample you gave me…"

"Sample," she muttered, turning to look at him and trying to focus. "right…well, lead the way."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Tapping her fingers on the counter, Lindsay glanced at the clock above the stove. 10:30. She looked over at Danny who was cleaning up the kitchen quietly, making sure all of the knives and anything else that was potentially dangerous was put away.

She sighed loudly. "So?" She jumped up to sit on the counter top just as Danny moved to lean against the counter opposite her, drying his hands on a towel.

Danny cleared his throat and sighed, pondering silently if it would be wrong of him to down a shot of the aging whiskey in his upper cabinet while his child was in bed sleeping. He shook his head at the thought.

"A'right." He swallowed. "First and foremost, I didn't break up with her when I found out she was pregnant and I didn't cheat on her."

"Melanie?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Second, she's only in my life as Angie's mother so don't get all weird about me communicatin' with 'er."

"Enough with the disclaimers!" That wasn't shouting, she just raised her voice a tiny bit.

"I was 25 and Mel was 27. I'd been datin' 'er for 'bout two and a half years." He licked his lips. "I found out she'd been seeing another guy for 'bout four months while we was still t'gether. She said that she was polygamous and that she was in love with me and in love with him. I couldn't handle that kindsa shit, so I ended it. Call me selfish, but 'ey, that's how life goes."

Lindsay nodded but stayed quiet, listening intently.

"Six months later, I'm hangin' with one o' my buds, we're chattin it up he tells me Mel's knocked up. Call her up, ask 'er if she knows who the dad is. She ain't sure." He took a breath. "When the baby was born, I got a paternity test, baby was mine. Mel let's me see 'er when I got the time. I help pay her rent to keep her from livin in a real bad neighborhood. Angie's full name is Angelina Tambre Rose Messer. So when I say I can't come meet you for lunch sometimes on my days off it's 'cause I'm spendin' time with my other favorite girl."

A moment of silence passed. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Same reason women don't tell the men they're dating about havin' kids. Didn't wanna scare you off the first month or so. Couldn't figure out the best time to tell you after that." He shrugged. Lindsay shook her head and smiled, sliding off the counter top and making her way toward him. She linked her arms around his neck and kissed under his ear.

"I'm not going anywhere." He nodded, turning to kiss her lips, arm wrapping around her waist and bringing her closer. "What'd Mac say?" She muttered against his lips, eyelids drooping.

"Day Care's on the second floor, I'm still on call." Lindsay nodded as she ran her fingers up and down his chest. "You stayin'?"

"Yeah. That way if you get called in, I can take her up there at a more decent hour." Danny cocked an eyebrow. "And because I want to." She smiled, closing the conversation by pressing their lips back together.

_blahblahblah_

"What d'ya want for breakfast, Angie?" Lindsay looked over and she would have smiled too, if it hadn't been the tramp stamp of dawn and the coffee maker hadn't been so slow.

Angie rubbed her eyes, a big pout on her face from being nudged awake so early in the morning when she wasn't even supposed to go to school. She didn't throw a fit though, and that made both Lindsay and Danny pretty happy. From the sidelines Lindsay watched as Angie lifted her gaze to Danny, pout still present on her small face. He looked away from the slow coffee maker and back at her and Lindsay swore something had melted from the exterior. She watched with great interest.

"Can we go ta' McDonalds, Daddy? Pwease?"

Lindsay knew that Danny didn't like McDonalds, not a lot of adults did. But she, personally, was a sucker for the Deluxe Breakfast, and tiredly thought to herself that this kid was amazingly talented if she could convince him to take them there.

Danny opened his mouth, closed it, and then smiled sleepily.

"Sure, baby."

Lindsay gasped. She didn't _really_ think Danny was the type to fall for a pout. He looked over at her and if it were a few hours later, she would have laughed at him. "Not a word to Don."

"Promise."

"A'right," he turned back to Angie now. "Go put on the clothes I set out for ya and we'll go, capite?"

"Capite!" She nodded and ran back to her room. Thinking about it now, Lindsay understood why he never showed her the second room in the apartment.

"And brush your teeth!" He yelled down as an afterthought, sighing when the coffee maker was finally finished brewing. Lindsay jumped up and went to stand beside him, waiting impatiently.

Danny looked over at her with a smirk, pouring coffee into her awaiting mug. "And what 'bout you, Miss, you brush your teeth?" Lindsay nodded her head vigorously and then smiled wide for him.

"Flossed too. Does that mean I get McDonalds?" He shrugged.

"If you want. I was askin' for my own benefit, though."

"Your own ben-" She was cut off and well aware of the fact that Danny took advantage of the fact that her mouth was still open.

A few minutes later (or seconds, Lindsay couldn't really tell any sort of time anymore after that,) they broke apart. However, not on their accord but thanks to a little girl clearing her throat and saying "Andiamo!"

Lindsay had to ask for a translation.

_blahblahblah_

"C.O.D. is suffocation. Found skin samples under the vic's fingernails," Sid babbled on.

"So she did put up a fight then?" Stella chewed on the end of a pen after thinking out loud.

"Suffocated with what, do you know?" She asked.

"Well," he said, holding up a finger, "I did find this caught in her throat." Sid handed her the dish and Lindsay held it up close, squinting, finding a small fiber. "I also found some form of medication that had not yet dissolved into her system," he handed Stella a dish now.

"What kind of medication do you think it could be?"

"No clue. That's your job. Now gone with you, I've got Mac's body to work on and he's getting antsy." He shooed them out of the room with his hands.

"To Adam, then?" Lindsay asked as the two women made their way down the hall.

"Adam. You drop these off there, I'm gonna go check with the DNA for those stray hairs."

"Ok." Lindsay did as she was told and then went into her office, figuring that she'd catch up on paper work while Adam worked on the fiber and the semi-digested medicine.

Danny turned from the computer when the door to their office opened and smiled. "Busy mornin'?" She plopped down in her chair and shrugged, tapping her fingers on the file atop her desk.

"Kind of. Heard there was an incident on the second floor." They both smiled.

"Takes her awhile to get used ta' people."

"Got used to me just fine."

"I told her about you." Her eyebrow shot up.

"Oh really?" He nodded, eyes back on the screen. "Why?"

"So she wouldn't get upset when you touched her."

"Is she really that violent?"

"No." He shook his head. "No, she didn't hit anyone or anythin', 'cept that kid that tried ta' kiss 'er. She just said 'don't touch me' and she said it loud an' clear."

"She's reserved."

"Yeah."

"Like you." Lindsay saw a smile creep onto his face again.

"Yeah. Like me."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

For a quiet, reserved girl, Angie sure was talkative that evening.

Mac had let Danny and Angie leave at seven, Lindsay stayed until nine but when she got to Danny's, Angie was still awake.

When Lindsay opened the door (because it was already unlocked,) Angie whipped around on the couch. "You missed it! Daddy made ravioli. We saved some for you on a plate in the oven though! We have ice cream too! Me and Daddy made Brown Cows! He said that's what you call 'em." Lindsay dropped her bag and looked at Danny who had gotten up to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Shouldn't she be in bed?"

"It's Friday night! Weekend! Stay up late!"

Danny whispered a small "hey baby" into her ear and led her into the living room. "Ya hungry?"

"Yeah, I'll go warm it up."

"No, let me. Sit down. We're gonna put Peter Pan on in a sec." Danny squeezed her side and made his way into the kitchen, ears perking to listen out for conversation.

"Peter Pan's one of my favorites." Lindsay said, smiling as she walked around and officially into the living area.

"Mine too! Can you put the DVD in? Daddy won't let me touch stuff with wires."

"He doesn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Yeah," the little girl nodded, sitting Indian style in Little Mermaid pajamas, fixing her eyes on Lindsay as she walked toward the entertainment set. "Mommy don't care though. 'Til tha' other day when I almost knocked the TV over! She kept goin' on 'bout how she can't wait to go on that cruise. That's where she is now. What's a cruise?" Lindsay narrowed her eyes and turned her head, catching Danny's face, slowly turning a deep crimson shade.

And she was right; Melanie didn't mention anything about a cruise.

Lindsay cleared her throat and grabbed the DVD remote, setting it next to Angie. "I'll be right back, you want some milk?"

"Yes, please!" Angie smiled wide and watched her go, then turned her attention to the player that was loading the disc.

"Danny…" Lindsay placed her hand on his shoulder and looked at him.

"She said she had to go visit her mother."

"Maybe Angie's confused." He shook his head.

"I thought it was odd, y'know? She never liked her ma. They never agreed on nothin', her mom's a straight up bitch." He said this in a hushed tone. "She lied ta me, though, and that's what pisses me off." She ran her fingers up and down his upper arm, frowning.

"Just talk to her about it when she gets back. Don't let it get to you right now." He nodded and moved toward the microwave to get her plate out. "I've got the drinks, don't worry about it."

_blahblahblah_

Lindsay wasn't sure if she fell asleep in the middle of Snow White or just before Monsters Inc. Or maybe it was Ice Age, she wasn't sure. She opened her eyes to find herself lying in Danny's bed with a throw over her body. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she tip-toed quietly down the hall, stopping short when she heard voices.

"Daddy, why can't I live with you?" Lindsay looked around the corner to see Angie in Danny's lap, curled, head in the crook of his neck. They were sitting in the big chair next to the couch, another children's movie on low volume. She bit her lip.

"'Cause you've always lived with Mommy. Why, baby?" He ran his fingers through her hair as she lifted her head up.

"I like it better here. You don't make me go hide in my room when Lindsay's over. And you say 'I love you' ev'ry night. And Lindsay's nice too."

"Does Mommy's boyfriends scare you, Angie?"

"Sometimes. When I see them. But I never really see 'em. Cause I hafta stay in my room. They don' like me. Montana likes me."

"Yeah she does." Lindsay smiled from the hallway.

"Why can't I live with you?" Danny sighed.

"I don't know baby. I'll try to work it out so you can see me more, ok?"

"Ok." Angie yawned and stretched her arms, linking them around his neck.

"Let's get you in bed. If I don't hafta work tomorra', we'll go do somethin' fun. K?"

"Mmk."

Danny stood up with Angie in his arms and made his way down the hall, stopping to look at Lindsay. "You don't hafta eavesdrop all th'time, y'know." She rolled her eyes and walked with him to the little girl's room.

He laid Angie down in her Disney Princess covered bed, tucking her in and reaching for her nightlight. "Wish-Bear or Good Luck-Bear?"

"Daddy Bear." She muttered tiredly, pointing to a blonde bear with a Yankee's shirt on and glasses. Lindsay grinned and picked it up, handing it to Danny, who tucked it under Angie's arm.

Leaning in, Danny kissed her forehead gently, and then her cheek. "I love you," he whispered.

"Love you too, Daddy."

"Sweet dreams." She nodded and yawned again.

"Night, Montana." Lindsay shot Danny a look, though it was an incomplete look because she was still smiling.

"Goodnight Angie." She replied. Danny turned the light off and closed the door, leading Lindsay back to his room.

"Why can't she live with you?" She asked, crawling into her claimed side of his bed, turning to watch him.

"My odd hours."

"Isn't that adjustable?"

"I can't just take her away from Mel. She'd probably wanna fight for it." He took of his t-shirt and jeans, getting in on his side and pulling Lindsay close to him. "I've already thought about this a number o' times. She'd get pissed because Mel gets pissy and take me to court for full custody just to spite me."

"And you don't want to put Angie through a custody battle." She nodded. "But in the end, wouldn't it be healthier for her to be with someone who will take care of her and love her than with someone who tries to escape her?"

"It'd be up to the judge. And the whole shooting and Tanglewood; everything would come back up." She crawled into his lap and kissed his throat.

"Maybe, maybe not. Not all hearings involved every single mistake you've made. Don't think about it now, but think about it. Maybe Mel won't take you to court. Seems like she doesn't really want Angie around all that much anyways." He nodded, placing his hand at the back her neck and pressing their foreheads together.

"It's not that I don't want to, because I know that I do. I just don't know if anyone else, i.e. Mel or a judge or even a lawyer, thinks I can."

She smiled. "I know you can." She leaned closer and kissed him deeply.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

"Daddy, I don't wanna go!" Angie screeched, tears streaming down her face, anger radiating in her eyes. She latched herself onto Danny's leg and shook her head. "I don't wanna go, Daddy, don't make me go! I wanna stay here wit' you. I don't wanna go!" Somehow through loud sobs, shaking, and coughing, she managed to get this message out rather clearly.

It was times like these that Danny wanted to have his heart removed from his chest so he wouldn't hurt so much.

He bent down and picked her up, setting her on the counter and wiping her face with a tissue, kissing the top of her head. "I'd keep you if I could baby, but I can't." He spoke calmly, yet firmly before swallowing the lump in his throat.

He wasn't going to cry.

Danny promises himself this every time.

He's bad at keeping promises to himself.

"I'll come see you again real soon, k? Pick you up and spend some time with ya?"

"I don't wanna go." She squeaked, sniffling and pouting. He felt a sting in his eyes

"I know. I don't want you to go. But you have to."

"But I don't like her bo-"

"If something happens, if one of Mommy's boyfriends says something to you, or you feel scared and unsafe, I want you to call me ok? Do you remember my number?" She nodded.

"645-7329."

"Good girl." He kissed her forehead. "Mommy's gonna be here soon, ok? Why don't you go wash your face in the bathroom and lay down for a little bit?" She sniffled again.

"Yes, Daddy."

_blahblahblah_

But she wasn't there soon. She was a whole hour and a half late. Danny was boiling, but he stayed silent because Angie was asleep in her room. He was in between the urge to scream his head off in anger and the overwhelming feeling that life was taunting him, allowing him to keep his daughter a little longer, only to yank her away again.

Life sucked. He wanted to punch it in the face.

There was finally a knock on the apartment door. Danny sighed sadly and went to the door, first looking in the peephole and then opening it up. "You're late," he said quietly. "Angie's asleep, I need to talk to you." Melanie shrugged.

"Sure. Bout what?" She came in and set her purse down.

"You weren' really at yer ma's, were ya?" She bit her lip. And two and a half years with the woman in front of him, and then sharing a child with her taught him that when she bit her lip she was either going to lie or try and justify what she did.

"I needed a break, Danny. She's always there."

"She's five, where else is she gonna go? And anyways, I don't care that you wen' on a cruise or anythin', I care that you lied ta' me. If I had needed to ask you something concerning Angie or if somethin' happened, how would I have gotten hold o' ya?"

Melanie rolled her eyes. "Nothing happened and you didn't need to ask me anything."

"But if I had!" He kept his voice low.

"Look, don't turn into a damn drama queen. Next time I'll tell you the truth. Whatever. But I need to get home and unpack. So can we please get on with this? Cause it always takes forever."

_blahblahblah_

"You wouldn't be losing hours this way, they just wouldn't be as spread out. You'd be working from seven to five Monday through Friday and then on call, and then you'd have Saturday and Sunday on secondary call." He nodded.

"And if she couldn't take her, I'd get my ma to watch her. Sounds good. I jus' don't wanna have to up and leave at three in th'mornin.'"

"Right." Mac nodded and turned to exit the office.

"Thanks, Mac, I really 'ppreciate this." He turned.

"Of course." Mac opened the door, just in time for Lindsay to breeze in.

"Lindsay," he nodded and headed down the hall Lindsay turned to reply but he was already gone. She looked around and sat one of the cups of coffee onto Danny's desk.

"Thought it might help. It's good stuff, not that bull shit in the break room." He looked at her and took a sip, swallowing and setting it down.

"S'got Bailey's in it."

"I know." They shared a smile. "Feeling any better?"

"I was startin' too til I got ta' my scene earlier." She cocked an eyebrow. "Someone pulled a Tell Tale Heart. Without the screamin' and the confessin'. No one heard a damn thing. Found out theJD was on sleepin' meds, could be why." She scrunched her nose.

"Damn."

"Jus' a bad day for everyone. Wanted to call Angie when she got outta school but I've been too damn busy." She nodded. "What about your scene?"

"Drowning."

"Where?"

"Her bathroom. No sign of forced entry. She was dressed like she was ready to go out and party. Perfectly quaff." He frowned.

Silence.

"Wanna meet in the locker room and make out?"

"Yeah." She said without hesitation or thought. "You go first, I'll be there in five."


End file.
